Ultrathin films on copper(i) oxide water splitting photocathodes : a study on performance and stability
The utilisation of Cu2O photocathodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting requires their stabilisation due to photocorrosion in aqueous electrolytes. Ultrathin films of wide band gap semiconducting oxides deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on top of cuprous oxide can perform the dual fu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2013
|
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/98187 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/13296 |
| _version_ | 1811693678734868480 |
|---|---|
| author | Paracchino, Adriana Mathews, Nripan Hisatomi, Takashi Stefik, Morgan Tilley, S. David Grätzel, Michael |
| author2 | School of Materials Science & Engineering |
| author_facet | School of Materials Science & Engineering Paracchino, Adriana Mathews, Nripan Hisatomi, Takashi Stefik, Morgan Tilley, S. David Grätzel, Michael |
| author_sort | Paracchino, Adriana |
| collection | NTU |
| description | The utilisation of Cu2O photocathodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting requires their stabilisation due to photocorrosion in aqueous electrolytes. Ultrathin films of wide band gap semiconducting oxides deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on top of cuprous oxide can perform the dual function of both facilitating charge extraction (through the creation of a p–n junction) and protecting the absorber material from the aqueous electrolyte, thereby suppressing corrosion in favor of hydrogen generation. The factors that determine the photocurrent performance as well as the stability of these photoelectrodes are examined. Specifically, the influence of ALD deposition temperature, electrolyte pH, electrolyte composition as well as post-deposition annealing treatments was studied. The successful development of protective overlayers must fulfil the dual requirements of favourable band alignments as well as chemical stability. At long time scales, the deactivation of the photocathodes proceeds through etching of the amorphous overlayer, accompanied by the loss of the platinum catalyst particles. Through the deposition of a semi-crystalline TiO2 overlayer, 62% stability over 10 hours of testing has been demonstrated without re-platinization. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T06:55:30Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/98187 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T06:55:30Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/981872020-06-01T10:26:45Z Ultrathin films on copper(i) oxide water splitting photocathodes : a study on performance and stability Paracchino, Adriana Mathews, Nripan Hisatomi, Takashi Stefik, Morgan Tilley, S. David Grätzel, Michael School of Materials Science & Engineering The utilisation of Cu2O photocathodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting requires their stabilisation due to photocorrosion in aqueous electrolytes. Ultrathin films of wide band gap semiconducting oxides deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on top of cuprous oxide can perform the dual function of both facilitating charge extraction (through the creation of a p–n junction) and protecting the absorber material from the aqueous electrolyte, thereby suppressing corrosion in favor of hydrogen generation. The factors that determine the photocurrent performance as well as the stability of these photoelectrodes are examined. Specifically, the influence of ALD deposition temperature, electrolyte pH, electrolyte composition as well as post-deposition annealing treatments was studied. The successful development of protective overlayers must fulfil the dual requirements of favourable band alignments as well as chemical stability. At long time scales, the deactivation of the photocathodes proceeds through etching of the amorphous overlayer, accompanied by the loss of the platinum catalyst particles. Through the deposition of a semi-crystalline TiO2 overlayer, 62% stability over 10 hours of testing has been demonstrated without re-platinization. 2013-09-04T06:01:27Z 2019-12-06T19:51:54Z 2013-09-04T06:01:27Z 2019-12-06T19:51:54Z 2012 2012 Journal Article Paracchino, A., Mathews, N., Hisatomi, T., Stefik, M., Tilley, S. D., & Grätzel, M. (2012). Ultrathin films on copper(i) oxide water splitting photocathodes: a study on performance and stability. Energy & Environmental Science, 5(9), 8673-8681. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/98187 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/13296 10.1039/c2ee22063f en Energy & environmental science |
| spellingShingle | Paracchino, Adriana Mathews, Nripan Hisatomi, Takashi Stefik, Morgan Tilley, S. David Grätzel, Michael Ultrathin films on copper(i) oxide water splitting photocathodes : a study on performance and stability |
| title | Ultrathin films on copper(i) oxide water splitting photocathodes : a study on performance and stability |
| title_full | Ultrathin films on copper(i) oxide water splitting photocathodes : a study on performance and stability |
| title_fullStr | Ultrathin films on copper(i) oxide water splitting photocathodes : a study on performance and stability |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ultrathin films on copper(i) oxide water splitting photocathodes : a study on performance and stability |
| title_short | Ultrathin films on copper(i) oxide water splitting photocathodes : a study on performance and stability |
| title_sort | ultrathin films on copper i oxide water splitting photocathodes a study on performance and stability |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/98187 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/13296 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT paracchinoadriana ultrathinfilmsoncopperioxidewatersplittingphotocathodesastudyonperformanceandstability AT mathewsnripan ultrathinfilmsoncopperioxidewatersplittingphotocathodesastudyonperformanceandstability AT hisatomitakashi ultrathinfilmsoncopperioxidewatersplittingphotocathodesastudyonperformanceandstability AT stefikmorgan ultrathinfilmsoncopperioxidewatersplittingphotocathodesastudyonperformanceandstability AT tilleysdavid ultrathinfilmsoncopperioxidewatersplittingphotocathodesastudyonperformanceandstability AT gratzelmichael ultrathinfilmsoncopperioxidewatersplittingphotocathodesastudyonperformanceandstability |